Cigar-vending machine.



F. Ll STRAIGHT.

CIGAR VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2b, 1912.

1,049, 1 6,8. Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

a 2 SHEET$SHEET 1.

lllllli% F. L. STRAIGHT.

CIGAR VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26, 1912.

1,049,168, v Patented Dec. 31,1912.

q 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FREDERICK L. STRAIGHT, OF LOUISIANA, MISSOURI.

CIGAR-VENDING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Latent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

Original application filed November 1, 1911, Serial No. 660,840. Dividedand this application filed. January 26, 1912. Serial No. 673,606.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. STRAIGHT, citizen of the United States,residing at Louisiana, in the county of Pike and State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigar-Vending Machines,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to coin controlled vending apparatus, andparticularly to a machine for vending cigars, although it is to beunderstood that the inventionis not limited in this regard but isequally applicable for other uses.

The invention has for its primary object a simple, durable and efficientapparatus of this character which will be positive in its action, whichwill handle the cigars without liability of mashing them or breaking thewrappers, which will preferably feed the cigars one at a time, and whichwill with every operation of the device roll the cigars remaining in thevending compartment so as to insure a proper feed and prevent cloggingof the machine or crowding of the cigars.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means of thischaracter which will vend the cigars from an ordinary cigar box withoutthe necessity of removing the cigars from the box, the parts of themachine being preferably so arranged that the cigars and the actuatingmechanism therefor may be viewed at all times, which will not only add atouch of interest to the machine, but will also show when the box isempty.

The construction described in the following specification has beendivided from my pending application on vending-machines, Serial No.660,840, filed November 1, 1911, said application covering the coinactuated mechanism.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved vending machine, theexterior casing of the machine, however, being removed. Fig. 2 is afragmentary side elevation of the lower part of the vending machine soas to show the engagement of the various gates, panels, etc., with thecoin actuated mechanism proper. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional viewof my vending machine, the section being taken through the middle of themachine showing the parts in the position they occupy just after a cigarhas been delivered. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the lowerportion of the vending machine but showing the parts in the positionthey occupy just prior to the delivery of the cigar and as the cigar isfalling upon the delivery gate. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view ofthe cut-off member 6 and a portion of the support therefor to show thepivotal connection of the cut-01f member. Fig. 6 is a perspective detailview of the cigar catching gate.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and inclicated in all the views of the accompanying drawingsby the same reference characters.

The casing of my improved cigar vending machine may be of any desiredconstruction and design, according to the particular circumstances ofthe case, or as the judgment or taste may dictate, said casing not beingshown in the present instance as it in itself forms no partof thepresent invention. It is to be understood, however, that the case isprovided with a suitable opening for the reception of a coin, with adoor or panel whereby access may be had to the interior of the casingfor inserting boxes of cigars therein, and if desired may also beprovided at its lower end with a tray upon which the delivered cigar maybe discharged so as to be removed by the purchaser without an actuationof the apparatus. All of these parts may be of any desired constructionand are so well understood by those versed in the art that they do notneed illustration.

The cigar box from which cigars are to be vended is adapted to besupported .upon a box support 2 having side pieces 4: and formed with abase 3 upon which a cigar box A is adapted to rest. Leading downwardlyand forwardly from the base 2 is a curved chute or runway 5 whichextends between the side pieces at and is of a length equal to thebreadth of a cigar box.

Pivotally mounted between the side pieces 4: at the lower end of thechute 5 is a detaining gate 6. This is pivoted at its uppercnd as at 7to the side 4;, the outer end of the gate being free to move. The gateis provided at one end with an outwardly projecting pin 8 connected to alink 40 for a purpose to be later described. It will be seen that theupper or inner end of the gate 6 is approximately in alinement with thelower end of the chute 5 so that the gate when in its normal position asshown in Fig. 3 forms practically a continuation of the surface of thechute The side pieces 1 at the bottom are cut away as at 10 to provide acurved slot or recess through which the pin 8 projects. It will be seenthat the gate 6 may be turned up into a position as shown in Fig. 41where it will prevent the outlet of cigars from the chute 5, or may beturned down into its normal position as in Fig. 3. Also pivotallysupported from the lower ends of the sides 4 below the cutaway portionat the forward ends of the slides is a cigar catching gate designated11. This is angular in form to provide the inwardly projecting flanges12 and is cut away at its middle as at H, thus providing a bar 15 withthe angular cigar supporting members 12 at each end thereof. The gate 11is swung from hangers 16 pivotally mounted at their lower ends upon theside pieces 4t as at 17, these links 16 being angularly bent andextending beneath the extremities of the gate 11. .t will be seen thatthese links or hangers 16 are disposed beneath the inner end of theflanges 12, and that as a consequence the gate will remain closed or inthe position shown in Fig. 3 by its own weight, and that after it hasbeen forced open, it will. tend to close without any assistance of aspring or other member.

Extending between the side pieces 1- above the gate 11 is a cross bar 18which is fixed to the forward edges of the side pieces and j is providedwith depending fingers 19 which are slightly curved downward and inward.These fingers extend downward below the cross bar 15 of the member 11and the mem her is cut out at its middle to accommodate these downwardlyextending fingers. These fingers act to strip a cigar from off theflanges 12 of the cigar catching gate 11 and guide the cigar downwardupon a discharge gate 20 which is pivoted between the side pieces 4: atthe lower ends thereof and immediately beneath the gate 6. The gate 20is pivoted at its rear end, and the pivotal point is somewhat behind orbeneath the point 7 of the gate 6. The gate 20 is of such width thatwhen turned up to the position shown in Fig. 4, the forward edge of thegate will be immediately beneath the fingers 19, while when it is turneddown as shown in Fig. 3, the lower edge of the gate will rest upon thebase of the machine or communicate with a delivery cup or likereceptacle for the cigar.

Mounted above the gates previously described is a cigar feeding androlling device comprising the spaced angular members 21 constitutinglinks having rounded inner faces and connected by a cross bar 22. Thesespaced angular members are pivoted as at 23 to the side pieces 1 topivotally support the side pieces. These angular mem bers are bifurcatedas at 25, and pivoted within these bifurcations are the upwardlyextending rods 26 connected by cross bars 27 and 28. These cross barsare rounded so that while they will engage with the cigars as they passfrom the box A and will act to feed the cigars downward, they will notinjure the cigars. The supporting rods 26 are supported between atransverse rod 29 extending between the side piecestand a transverseroller 30 also extending between the rods 4. The angular feeding members21, the vertical supporting rods 26 and the cross bars 27 and 28 are allreciprocated together by means of connections extending from one of themembers 21 and connected operatively to the coin actuated mechanism.

One of the side pieces 4: is formed with an upwardly extending arcuateslot 31, and mounted upon the apex of one of the angular members 21 is atransversely extending pin 32 which extends out through the slot 31.This pin is connected by means of a link 33 to a pin 34: mounted upon asliding bar 36 operatively connected to an actuating handle 37 so thatwhen the handle is operated, the bar 36 will be forced inward, that is,from the front toward the back of the machine. Through the connection 33the inward movement of the bar 36 will force the pin 32 up in the slot,thus raising the feeding devices to their full height. At the time thatthe pin 32 is raised, the gate 11 is also raised or moved outward intothe position shown in Fig. at, thus causing the cigar which rests uponthe inwardly extending flanges 13 to be dropped upon the discharge gate20. For the purpose of rotating the gate 11 so as to move the flangesupward and outward, I provide a link 38 as shown in Fig. 2 which extendsbetween the pin 32, and an out wardly projecting pin 39 projectinglaterally from. the upper portion of one of the angular members 12 ofthe cigar catching gate 11. As the pin 32 moves up in the slot 31, theupper portion of the gate 11 will be moved upward and inward, thusthrowing outward the lower portion of the gate including the flanges 13.

In order to rotate the gates 6 and 20, to gether, so that when the gate6 moves upward the gate 20 will also move upward, and so that the gates6 and 20 will move upward in correspondence with the pin 32, T providethe link 40 which extends downward from the pin 32 to the pin 8 and thenextends downward to a pin 11 projecting from the outer edge of thedischarge gate 20. It will thus be seen that the several gates 12, 6 anddownward movement of the member 21.

It will also be seen from Figs. 3 and 4 that in their normal positionthe flanges 13 of the gate 10 are in approximate contact with the freeedge of the gate 6, and that the pivoted edge of this gate is inapproximate contact with the lower edge of the chute 5, so that cigarsissuing from the box A will fill the chute 5, the lowermost cigarresting upon the flanges 13 while the next cigar in order rests upon thegate 6, the remainder of the cigars extending up the chute 5 between theface of the chute and the feeding members 21. Upon an upward movement ofthe feeding member 21 incidentto the rise of the pin 32 upon theactuation of the lever 37, the gate 6 will rotate to the position shownin Fig. 4, pushing back the lowermost cigar and preventing its droppingoff of the chute. At the same time the gate 11 will open outward and thegate 20 will rise, permitting the cigar which rests upon the flanges 13to drop upon the gate 20. Upon the downward movement of these parts, thedischarge gate 20 will drop, permitting the cigar thereon to bedischarged from the machine entirely. The gate 6 will gradually lower,and as it lowers the cigar catching gate 11 will move inward to take upits former position and the parts will return to the position shown inFig. 3.

hen a cigar box is first placed Within the machine, a few cigars areremoved from one end of the box and a triangular fillet 42 is disposedin the bottom of this box. This fillet preferably consists of a piece ofspring metal folded to form an acute angle triangle having the depth thesame depth as the cigar box. This fillet 42 forms an inclined bottom tothe cigar box, thus causing the cigars therein to roll downward and outof the box and into the channel between the face of the chute and thefeeding devices 22. Unless the cross bars 27 and 28 and the angularfeeding members 21 have curved faces, they will act to roll the cigarsand will not act to crush them or jam them. Furthermore, while theangular members 21 will roll the cigars on their upward movement, theywill pass upward above the cigars and will permit the cigars to feeddownward to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. A continualreciprocation of the members 21, 27 and 28 will cause the downward feedof the cigars and will cause the cigars to take up a position one aboveanother within the passage between the chute 5 and the members 21.

lVhile I do not wish to be limited to any specific mechanism foroperating the vending machine heretofore described, for purposes ofillustration I have shown as much of the mechanism described in my priorapplication, Serial No. 660,840, filed November 1, 1911, as willillustrate the operation of the several parts.

By referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that I provide a curved. coinchute or track designated 43 which is channeled for the reception of thecoin and is provided with overhanging fianges 44. This member 43 isbowed to permit a coin smaller than the channel to drop out. The upperend of the coin chute 43 is provided with coin-receiving members 45alining with the coin slot in the face of the machine. The head of thecoin-receiving member is also provided with a finger 46 which extendsbeneath the opening of the head 45 and is designed to cause all coins toturn in the proper position to pass through the chute, and is alsodesigned to catch Washers which may be deposited in the machine.

The actuating lever 37 is slidingly mounted upon a standard 47 having aninclined face formed with a channel-way for the actuating rod 37. Thelower end of the rod 37 is formed with a head 48 having an approximatelyvertical active face 49.

Mounted upon a rigid guide 50 and moving thereover is a slide 51 whichcarries upon it a toothed wheel 52 having certain of its teeth adaptedto mesh with a rack bar 53 mounted upon the base of the machine. Thewheel 52 is provided with a square hub 54 with which the vertical fiatface 49 of the head 48 is adapted to engage. A spring 55 rigidlyconnected at one end to the base and at the other connected to the hub54 acts to force the Wheel 52 in a forward direction. Upon a depressionof the rod 37, the head 48 hearing against the hub 54 will force theWheel 52 back, and with it the slide 51.

Mounted in conjunction with the slide 51 is a slide 36. The inner faceof the slide 51 is cut away to form opposed shoulders, and the adjacentface of the slide 36 is also cut away to provide shoulders. A coinpassing downward through the chute 43 drops down into the recess betweensaid shoulders and forms a connecting means for the two slides 51 and 36so that under these circumstances when the rod 37 is depressed, theslide 51 will carry with it the slide 36. When, however, no coin isdeposited, the slide 51 upon a depression of the rod 37 will move aloneand will not afiect the slide 36. Therefore, there will be no actuationof the machine. The outer end of the slide 36 upon its inner face isprovided with the pin 34 previously described. Thus upon an inwardmovement of the slide 36, the several links 33, and 38 will cause theactuation of the several gate and feeding devices previously described.Upon a release of the rod 37, the spring 55 will cause the parts toresume their normal condition. Means are also provided for making itnecessary that a full actuation of the rod 37 shall take place. Suchmeans is fully described in my prior application and needs nodescription here except to refer to the fact that a pawl 56 is mountedupon the slide 51 and is adapted to engage with certain teeth upon thewheel 52 to prevent a return of the parts to their normal position untilthe rod 37 has been fully depressed and a complete actuation effected.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings,the operation of my improved cigar vending machine will be apparent asthe several operations of the different elements of the apparatus havebeen described along with a description of their construction andrelative arrangement. It may be added, however, that in the practicaluse of the device, the cigar box is placed on end in the box holder 2with the open front facing the operator. A few of the cigars have beenpreviously removed from the bottom of the box and inserted in the runwayor passage between the chute 5 and the members 21, thus making room forthe fillet 4-2 and otherwise preparing the apparatus for actualoperation. When a coin is inserted in the coin slot it will fall intothe pocket formed between the slides 51 and 86 and operatively connectthe two slides so that upon a downward movement of the push rod 87, theslides 36 and 51 will be moved rear ard together, at the same timeswinging the feed bar inwardly and upwardly, the gate 6 upward andinward, the cigar catching gate 11 outward and the discharge gate upwardso as to permit a cigar to roll off onto the discharge gate. As soon asthe coin has been dropped from between the slides 36 and 51, the slide36 will be re turned by its spring 55, and this return movement willcause the parts to resume their normal position, thus turning down thedischarge gate 20 and permitting the cigar to roll off therefrom, thevending de vices thus being automatically brought back to their normalposition ready for a subsequent operation.

lVhile the accompanying drawings disclose what I believe to l e thepreferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited there to but that various changes may be madein the construction, arrangement and proportions of the parts withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

Vhat I claim is:

1. An apparatus of the character described including a delivery chute, apivoted detaining gate mounted at the lower end of the chute and formingpart of the same and mo *able into position to prevent the passage ofarticles down the chute and out of such position, a swingingarticle-receiving gate normally disposed in juxtaposition to thedetaining gate, and means for simultaneously rotating the detaining gateinto position to detain the articles above the gate and tipping thereceiving gate to discharge the article thereon.

2. A vending machine including an article chute, a detaining gatepivotally mounted at the lower end of the chute, an outwardly swingingarticle-receiving gate mounted in juxtaposition to the detaining gate,and operative connections to the detaining and receiving gates forautomatically moving the detaining gate upward into its detainingposition and outwardly and upwardly swinging the receiving gate for thepurpose of discharging the article supported thereon.

3. A vending machine including an article chute, a detaining gatepivotally mounted at the lower end of the chute and forming an extensionthereof, an outwardly swinging article-receiving gate having inwardlyprojecting portions normally supported in juxtaposition to the free edgeof the detaining gate, and means for simultaneously tilting thedetaining gate upward to prevent the downward passage of articles alongthe chute, and for swinging the receiving gate upward and outward totilt the same and discharge the article supported thereon.

4. A vending machine including an article chute, a detaining gatemounted at the bot tom of the chute and normally forming an extensionthereof, a tilting receiving gate having its free end disposed injuxtaposition to the detaining gate, a delivery gate beneath thereceiving gate, and means for simultaneously moving the detaining gateupward, tilting the receiving gate and tilting the delivery gate upwardto receive the article discharged from the receiving gate.

5. A vending machine including an article chute, retarding devicesdisposed at the bot tom of the chute, a receiving gate swinginglysupported and having inwardly projecting members alining with the freeend of the detaining gate when the latter is in its normal position,means for simultaneously raising the detaining gate to block the saidchute and tilting the receiving gate, and fingers supported above thereceiving gate and extending down thereto and acting to strip articlesfrom the receiving gate when the receiving gate is tilted.

6. A vending machine including an article chute, a detaining memberpivotally mounted at the lower end of the chute and movable from aposition in continuation of the chute to an upwardly extending position,an outwardly swinging gate disposed forward of the detaining gate andhaving oppositely disposed, inwardly extending flanges normallysupported in juxtaposition to the free edge of the detaining gate, saidflanges being spaced from each other to provide an intermediate recess,and stripping fingers mounted above the receiving gate and immovablewith relation thereto, and means for rotating the detaining gate from anormal position to an upwardly extending position and simultaneouslyswinging the receiving gate outward and upward whereby to cause thestripping fingers to strip the article from the gate.

7 A machine for vending cigars including acigar box support, a cigarchute leading from the bottom of said support and a feed device mountedto reciprocate in spaced relation to the chute and including spacedvertical rods, transverse members and pivotally supported links uponwhich said rods are pivotally mounted, said rods extending upward andinward toward the rear side of said cigar box support, and means forreciprocating the feed device in an outwardly and upwardly curved path.

8. A vending machine including an article chute, a feed device mountedfor oscillating movement parallel to the chute, a detaining gate at thelower end of the chute, a tiltable receiving gate disposed at the freeend of the detaining gate, and means for simultaneously tilting thedetaining gate, the receiving gate and reciprocating the said feeddevice.

9. A vending machine including an article chute, oppositely disposedangular members pivotally mounted adjacent to the lower end of thechute, said members having curved inner faces, vertically extendingspaced rods attached to said angular members and extending approximatelyparallel to the chute, transverse cross bars on said vertical rods, andmeans for causing an oscillation of the angular members and areciprocation of said rods.

10. In a cigar vending machine, a chute, oppositely disposed angularmembers pivotally mounted on either ,side of the chute, said membershaving rounded inner faces adapted to contact with the cigars beingvended, the said members being connected to each other, verticallyextending rods pivotally connected to said members and extendingapproximately parallel to the chute, transverse bars mounted upon saidrods and having rounded inner faces, and means for causing anoscillation of the angular members and a reciprocation of said rods.

11. A vending machine including a chute for the articles to be vended, apivoted retarding gate at the lower end of the chute, a receiving gatedisposed in front of the cletaining gate and movable upward and outwardfrom its normal position, a feed device mounted to oscillate above thedetaining gate, a pin carried by said feed device, means forreciprocating said pin, and link connections between said pin and thedetaining gate and receiving gate.

12. A cigar vending machine including a support for a box containing thecigars to be vended, a chute ext-ending downward from said support, afeed device disposed in front of said chute and extending upward infront of the space wherein the box is disposed and embodying membersadapted to engage the cigars contained in the box, a detaining gatepivotally mounted at the lower end of the chute and adapted to be turnedup into or. out of position to detain the cigars in the chute, anoutwardly swinging receiving gate disposed at the free end of thedetaining gate, and means for simultaneously tilting the detaining gateupward, swinging the receiving gate outward and upward and raising thefeed device.

13. In a cigar vending machine, a cigar box support having a chuteleading therefrom, and a feed device mounted to reciprocate in spacedrelation to the chute, said feed device extending upward and toward therear side of the cigar box support and above the same and includingspaced upwardly extending members and transversely extending membersmounted thereon, and pivotally supported links pivoted to the lower endsof the said upwardly extending members whereby to cause an outward movement of said feed device as the feed device is raised and an inwardmovement of the feed device as it is lowered.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK L. STRAIGHT. l/Vitnesses:

J. L. SPENCER, CARSON SrAeos.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

